Netanyahu Bloc Surges Ahead in Partial Vote Count, Overtaking Eisenkot
Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba
Partial election results indicate Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc has surged to 55 mandates, surpassing Gadi Eisenkot's bloc, which stands at 50. The Likud party leads with 27 mandates, while Eisenkot's National Unity Party has 22. Arab parties achieved a record high turnout and are projected to win 15 mandates. Both Netanyahu and Eisenkot have claimed victory based on their respective interpretations of the results, with final outcomes anticipated by Friday.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Partial election results show Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc leading with 55 mandates, overtaking Gadi Eisenkot's bloc at 50.
- The Likud party is the largest single party with 27 mandates in the partial count.
- Gadi Eisenkot declared victory for change, while Benjamin Netanyahu asserted a clear right-wing majority.
- Arab parties achieved a record turnout of approximately 80% and are projected to win 15 mandates.
- Final election results are expected by Friday morning after all votes are counted.
Partial election results show a significant shift, with Benjamin Netanyahu's bloc gaining ground and overtaking Gadi Eisenkot's bloc. As of Wednesday morning, with approximately 2.7 million votes counted (48.43% of the total), Netanyahu's bloc is projected to win 55 mandates, while Eisenkot's bloc is at 50 mandates. Arab parties are projected to secure 15 mandates. These figures represent a dramatic change from initial exit polls released Tuesday night, which had indicated a lead for Eisenkot's bloc.
The Likud party is currently leading with 27 mandates, followed by Eisenkot's National Unity Party with 22 mandates. The Joint List is projected to receive 11 mandates, as is Naftali Bennett's party. Among the Haredi parties, United Torah Judaism is at 8 mandates and Shas at 7 mandates.
In a victory speech delivered in Tel Aviv, Gadi Eisenkot declared a win for change, stating that the "government of failure has lost the public's trust." He asserted that Netanyahu faces a "larger and stronger Zionist national majority" and emphasized the importance of respecting the public's will by forming a stable government. Eisenkot vowed to represent all Israelis and ensure the election outcome leads to a stable, beneficial government.
Conversely, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking from the International Convention Center in Jerusalem, declared the Likud the largest party and asserted that the right-wing bloc has a "clear and decisive majority." He stressed the need to form a "strong right-wing national government" and warned against establishing a government reliant on "anti-Zionist parties."
Haredi party representatives expressed satisfaction with their results despite initial projections. MK Yaakov Asher celebrated "a great victory" for United Torah Judaism, while MK Moshe Gafni admitted to fearing the election results due to what he described as "incitement" against the Haredi public and Torah scholars.
Arab parties achieved their highest-ever electoral performance, with an estimated 80% turnout in the Arab sector. Yousef Jabareen, chairman of the Joint List, stated their goal was to remove the "extreme right-wing government" led by Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir, and Smotrich.
Full results are expected by Friday morning, after the counting of double envelopes, which could potentially alter the mandate distribution.
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